April 2026 Loan Round-up May 1, 2026

In April, IFF closed loans totaling approximately $4.6 million for community-driven projects in the Midwest. We’ve included information below about the loans and what the organizations that received them are doing with the capital. To learn more about IFF’s lending, visit our Capital Solutions page.

Emmaus Ministries

IFF closed a $50,000 Flex Loan for Emmaus Ministries (Emmaus) that provided the Chicago-based nonprofit with bridge funding while awaiting the disbursement of grants awarded to the organization by the City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Founded in 1992, Emmaus empowers male survivors of the sex trades to rebuild their lives. The nonprofit accomplishes this through street outreach, advocacy, and by providing services at a drop-in center that include meals and other basic supports, as well as referrals for housing, employment, and mental health and recovery services. IFF previously provided a Flex Loan to Emmaus in 2023 for a similar purpose.

Legal Prep Charter Academy

IFF closed two loans totaling $1.3 million to provide Legal Prep Charter Academy (Legal Prep) with the capital needed for renovations to a 28,000-square-foot space that the organization will operate as a new public charter school in downtown Indianapolis, IN. IFF’s loan will also enable Legal Prep to purchase furniture, fixtures, and equipment for the new school. Launched in Chicago in 2012, Legal Prep blends a rigorous legal-themed classroom curriculum with immersive professional exposure in the legal field to prepare students for success in college and careers. In the new location in Indianapolis, which will open for the 2026-2027 school year, Legal Prep will serve 540 students in grades 6-12 after a four-year ramp-up period.

Renovations to the space, which is located on the third floor of a historic building, will create a safe, fully functional middle and high school environment aligned with Legal Prep’s instructional model, student support systems, and legal-themed programming. Build-out of a separate entrance on the ground floor of the building, along with classrooms, small-group instructional spaces, student support offices, and common areas, will enable the school to deliver rigorous, standards-aligned instruction alongside targeted interventions, special education services, and English learner supports.

Lifeline Productions

IFF closed a $50,000 Flex Loan to support Lifeline Theatre’s (Lifeline) cash flow needs during the production of new plays. Founded in 1982 and located in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood, Lifeline is an award-winning theatre company that has produced more than 150 shows since its inception, with a focus on creating theatrical adaptations of literary works. In addition to these productions, the organization provides arts-integrated education programs in partnership with local schools and libraries, student matinee performances, and artistic development opportunities for theatre artists. Because Lifeline incurs costs to produce plays before the shows generate any revenue through ticket sales, the Flex Loan will ensure that the nonprofit has the cash on hand needed to operate normally during these temporary funding gaps. IFF previously provided a loan to Lifeline in May 2023 that refinanced a maturing mortgage from a commercial lender for the organization’s 9,500-square-foot facility, helping Lifeline save money with a lower interest rate.

Moline Housing Authority

IFF closed a loan of approximately $1.43 million that will facilitate the Moline Housing Authority’s development of Parkview Apartments, a new permanent supportive housing community in Moline, IL. The construction of Parkview Apartments will create 22 units of permanent supportive housing across five quad-plex buildings and one duplex, with a mix of two- and three-bedroom apartments. Sixteen of the units will be affordable for residents earning 30 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less, and six of the units will be affordable for residents earning 50 percent AMI or less. The project will provide a preference for people who need supportive services to access and maintain affordable housing, including those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, those living with a disability, and/or those at risk of institutionalization.

More than 20 percent of the apartments will be accessible for residents with disabilities, and all the units will include in-unit laundry, dishwashers, walk-in closets, central air conditioning, and kitchens equipped with equipped with garbage disposals, microwaves, ranges, and refrigerators. All appliances will be Energy Start-certified. Residents will also benefit from a community building with a furnished multipurpose room and an activity room, as well as a community garden, walking path, and gazebo. Residents will benefit from a wide range of on-site services provided by the Moline Housing Authority and its partners, including case management, behavioral and mental health services, job training, and re-entry programs for citizens returning from incarceration, among other examples.

Additional funding for the $10.75 million project is being provided by a grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The development of Parkview Apartments will create 25 temporary construction jobs and two permanent jobs. IFF previously provided the Moline Housing Authority with financing for Spring Valley Village, a 24-unit permanent supportive housing development in Moline.

Northside Youth and Senior Service Center

IFF closed an $800,000 loan that will enable nonprofit Northside Youth and Senior Service Center (NYSSC) to develop a new, 4,770-square-foot facility in St. Louis, MO, to expand the organization’s capacity to meet the needs of its clients in North St. Louis. NYSSC’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for older adults, children, and families in the St. Louis metropolitan area by providing access to education, counseling, and health services; recreational and social programs; and daily nutritious meals. With demand for the NYSSC’s programs growing significantly, the organization has outgrown its previous facility. The new building being developed will serve as a community center, with a gymnasium, multipurpose room, storage space, and restrooms. In future phases of development, NYSSC will expand the facility to meet additional community needs. Phase I of the project will create 30 temporary construction jobs and 3-5 permanent jobs, while also enabling NYSSC to establish new community partnerships and to serve an additional 230 seniors and 75 young people annually.

Additional sources of funding and financing for the $2.78 million first phase of the project include an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant from the St. Louis Development Corporation, a City of St. Louis Community Development Administration Neighborhood Transformation Grant, a Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development via the City of St. Louis, and agency equity.

Provident

IFF closed a $242,775 loan that will enable Provident Behavioral Health (Provident) to resurface a parking lot and replace an elevator in the organization’s 19,924-square-foot headquarters facility in St. Louis, MO. Provident is a longstanding nonprofit behavioral health provider in the region that delivers a continuum of care that includes outpatient counseling for children, families, and adults; school-based and behavioral intervention services; psychiatric evaluations and medication management; a 24/7 crisis intervention hotline and telehealth programming; and a residential facility for women ages 55+ with significant behavioral health needs. Upgrading the organization’s headquarters will ensure that the facility is both safe and accessible, enabling Provident to serve both community clients and other stakeholders with as few barriers as possible. IFF previously provided two loans totaling $1.25 million to Provident in 2015 that enabled the organization to refinance a prior loan and complete building upgrades.    

Street Samaritans

IFF closed a $350,000 loan to facilitate Street Samaritans’ acquisition of an 8,864-square-foot building in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood on Chicago’s southwest side to serve as the nonprofit’s headquarters and a comprehensive community resource center. Founded in 2017, Street Samaritans conducts community outreach and provides comprehensive case management services to individuals experiencing homelessness to help them achieve long-term stability. Previously operating in a 4,000-square-foot facility the organization leased, Street Samaritans will expand its capacity in the new location, while also bridging a critical service gap in the community following the closure of the nonprofit that previously operated in the facility which provided similar services. In its new building, Street Samaritans will help clients meet their basic needs and provide housing and benefits navigation support, health and wellness linkages, and workforce development opportunities, among other services. Dedicated areas for storage, volunteer engagement, and community partnerships will enhance efficiency, increase volunteer participation, and ensure essential resources are delivered directly to participants.